


Lost

by Jay_eagle



Category: Cabin Pressure
Genre: Dad Douglas, Parent-Child Relationship
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-04-27
Updated: 2015-04-27
Packaged: 2018-03-26 02:20:18
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 713
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3833374
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Jay_eagle/pseuds/Jay_eagle
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Linguini requested on Tumblr 'Douglas is scared of something'. I pondered phobias for a bit, but the idea of what I really believe Douglas is most scared of wouldn't leave my brain... and so I came up with this.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Lost

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Linguini](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Linguini/gifts).



“Come on, Em, keep up.” Douglas shepherded her forwards into the busy supermarket. “We’ve got lots to do today.”

 

“I know…” Emily was in a bad mood, and consequently, so was Douglas. “I want to wait in the car,” she whined, dragging her feet, making horrible squeaking noises on the shiny floor.

 

“Stop it!” Douglas had turned to grab a basket, feeling more irascible by the minute.

 

“Shan’t.” Emily stuck her tongue out at him.

 

“Emily Richardson -” Douglas gripped her firmly by the shoulder. “Behave yourself this instant.” He gave her a little shake. “Apologise.” He glared at her, and she pouted, but muttered ‘sorry’.

 

“That’s better.” Douglas let go of her. “Come on, or we won’t have any dinner.” He strode off into the store, hearing her jogging behind him.

 

“Don’t want any anyway,” she whinged, but at least she was following.

 

Douglas had a long list, and this wasn’t his usual supermarket. He marched from aisle to aisle, dodging other shoppers as best he could, sometimes chiding Emily for dawdling.

 

And then he turned around - and she wasn’t there.

 

“Emily?” he called, peering along the aisle, looking around the edges of a towering display of cat food. “Em?” He spun round the other way, his heart rate quickening. She wasn’t behind him either. “ _Emily_?”

 

He walked hastily in the direction they’d come from, trying not to let his breathing quicken with fear. “Where are you?” he muttered. She wasn’t there. Wasn’t anywhere he could see. He walked faster and faster, retracing their steps, looking wildly from side to side. “Emily?” he called, louder now, not noticing the peculiar glances he was getting from the other shoppers. “EMILY?”

 

He was jogging, pushing between people, ignoring their indignant complaints, calling out for her, and he couldn’t see her, and she was gone - he’d never known panic like it. _My fault. Where are you, where are you, you’re so little, and I wasn’t looking -_

 

_'Could Douglas Richardson please come to the information desk?’_

 

The announcement over the tannoy made him come to a halt so abruptly that a trolley collided painfully with his ankles. Ignoring the biting hurt, he ran off towards the store entrance.

 

_Please say you’ve found her. Please say you’ve found her._

 

They had. She was perched behind the desk, looking almost as if she worked there, playing with a sheaf of papers and a pair of pens the staff had given her. He panted as he flung himself over to the kiosk. “Oh my God, _there_ you are - Emily -”

 

She looked up, her face filling with delight at seeing him. He could see the tear-tracks down her cheeks, the runny nose that meant she’d been crying, and his heart felt as if it would burst.

 

“ _Daddy_!”

 

He aborted the stream of angry, relieved recrimination that had been about to flood forth from him; leant over the desk and scooped her into his arms. “Emily, Emily… did you get lost?”

 

She cuddled close into him and sniffled. “You walked too fast. And I wanted to look at the toys for a moment, and when - when I looked up you’d disappeared and I couldn’t see you, Daddy…” She buried her head in his shoulder.

 

A smiling woman leant over. “My colleague found her wandering around.”

 

Douglas wanted to hug her. “Thank you so much,” he said, his heart rate finally decreasing in relief. He felt weak at the knees. “You must think I’m a terrible parent…”

 

She shook her head. “Happens all the time.”

 

“Thank you for looking after her.” Douglas nodded his gratitude, thankful for her understanding expression. He turned back to the shop, still carrying his daughter, who was clinging tightly to him - as if she’d never let go. Heaven knew where he’d dumped his basket: in the frantic hunt, he never even remembered abandoning it. He sighed, and stroked her back. “Emily?”

 

“Mmm?” She sounded a little less sniffly now.

 

“I think I might have a better idea for dinner.” Douglas set her gently back on her feet, found a tissue to wipe her snotty nose. “What do you say we go out and get some pizza?”

 

Emily’s eyes lit up. “Yeah!”

 

“Come on, then.” Douglas took her hand, and held on to it firmly this time. “Let’s go.”

**Author's Note:**

> Come say hello on Tumblr, if you'd like. There's fic. And CP-obsessing. jay-eagle.tumblr.com


End file.
